Polycarbonate Thickness Chart: Selection and Installation ...

Polycarbonate sheets are available in various thickness options, with sizes typically starting from as thin as 0.4mm up to over 15mm, depending on the specific product and manufacturing standards.

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When selecting the appropriate thickness, it is crucial to understand that this decision significantly impacts the overall performance and utility of the sheets. Solid flat polycarbonate sheets generally range from 1.6mm to 15mm, while corrugated sheets vary between 0.6mm and 2.0mm. Ultra-thin solid sheets can be as delicate as 0.4mm to 1.2mm thick, and multi-wall polycarbonate sheets are offered in thicknesses from 4mm to 25mm, featuring a variety of configurations to choose from.

How to Choose Your Multiwall Polycarbonate Sheets Effectively

At the Glazing Shop, we are dedicated to assisting you in making informed decisions. If you have any inquiries not covered in this guide, please do not hesitate to reach out for additional information.

This guide primarily focuses on structured polycarbonate sheets instead of solid variants. Structured polycarbonate comprises multiple layers with cavities (commonly referred to as flutes). This design enhances strength while maintaining a lightweight profile, offering superior thermal insulation—with thicker sheets featuring more walls and cavities achieving higher thermal efficiency.

Polycarbonate sheets are versatile and cater to numerous applications, featuring a range of thicknesses and colors that deliver distinct advantages based on your particular project needs. When searching for the ideal polycarbonate sheeting, several factors warrant consideration.
 

1. Understanding Sheet Thickness

Generally, thicker sheets provide enhanced strength and rigidity. They can span greater distances between supports and exhibit improved impact resistance. The recommended maximum unsupported spans for structured roofing polycarbonate are as follows:

10mm Polycarbonate: 600mm

16mm Polycarbonate: 900mm

25mm Polycarbonate: mm

35mm Polycarbonate: mm

Note: When constructing your roof, be mindful of any limitations posed by supports and glazing bars, which may necessitate closer center spacing.

Various thicknesses offer distinct physical structures, including differences in the number of polycarbonate walls and their configurations.

The composition of our polycarbonate sheets is as follows:

With increased thickness, you also enjoy the advantage of lower U-values. The U-value measures heat transfer through a material; a lower U-value indicates superior insulation performance.

As sheet thickness increases, light transmission diminishes. For instance, clear polycarbonate's light transmission drops from 82% at 4mm to 50% at 35mm.

For additional technical details, please refer to our specification sheets located in the brochures section.

2. Evaluating Application Suitability

Certain thicknesses of polycarbonate sheets are better suited for specific applications. It's illogical to invest in costly 25mm sheets for a greenhouse when 4mm or 6mm sheets would suffice. Conversely, using 4mm sheets for a conservatory roof won't offer adequate support or insulation benefits.

Common applications aligned with each thickness include:

4mm & 6mm Polycarbonate

These twin-wall polycarbonate sheets are frequently used for greenhouse glazing, providing a safer and easier alternative to glass. They are lighter, stronger, and provide excellent thermal insulation. Additionally, they're often utilized internally for point-of-sale displays. We can cut these sheets to your required dimensions, or they can be effortlessly trimmed on-site.

10mm Polycarbonate

10mm twin-wall polycarbonate sheets are mainly employed in open structures, such as carports and canopies, where high thermal insulation is not a primary concern. They are well-suited for shorter spans and closer spacing between glazing bars, representing a cost-effective and lightweight solution.

16mm Polycarbonate

Known as triple wall, 16mm polycarbonate sheets feature three walls with two chambers in between. This thickness is a popular choice for carports and canopies, and it is occasionally used in smaller, unheated conservatories, such as utility rooms.

25mm Polycarbonate

Designed with an 'X' structure, 25mm polycarbonate provides exceptional strength and insulation, making it ideal for conservatories, orangeries, and atriums. This thickness is also favored for high-end canopies and commercial projects, with color options including dual tints like Heatguard and Bronze Opal available.

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32mm Polycarbonate

This thickness is primarily used in conservatory roofs and is characterized by strength and thermal efficiency. The performance capabilities of 32mm polycarbonate lie between those of 25mm and 35mm sheets.

This thickness has become less common, with many users opting for the higher-specification 35mm sheet, which often proves more cost-effective. Heatguard and Bronze Opal color choices are also available in this thickness.

35mm Polycarbonate

35mm polycarbonate sheets were specifically engineered for conservatory roofing applications. They offer maximum strength and thermal efficiency among the range.

This range of roofing sheets is available in a broad spectrum of colors, including Heatguard and Bronze Opal, allowing customization of light and heat levels entering the space, depending on its location and exposure to sunlight.

3. Color Considerations

When selecting the color of your polycarbonate, your initial consideration may be aesthetics. However, multiple factors should also influence your decision.

You should assess the amount of light you wish to allow in, as well as the heat retention or rejection you desire. Different colored polycarbonate sheets exhibit varying light transmission and insulation characteristics, enabling you to optimize the desired effects according to thickness.

For more in-depth technical information, please check our specification sheets available in the brochures section.

Clear multi-wall polycarbonate offers maximum light transmission and allows substantial heat accumulation, making it an excellent choice for cooler, darker areas, particularly in thinner 4mm and 6mm sheets.

Opal-tinted multi-wall polycarbonate is an excellent all-purpose option, akin to the translucency of an opal light bulb, diffusing softer light while minimizing heat gain and preventing hot spots.

Its tinted quality provides adequate privacy while maintaining a bright ambiance, making it ideal for canopy roofs to obscure views from neighboring properties or for carports, where it helps conceal fallen leaves and debris.

Bronze-tinted multi-wall polycarbonate is advantageous in brightly lit areas where lower light transmission is expected, helping to mitigate heat accumulation and keep spaces cooler.

This type is ideal for wooden carport roofs or pergolas, particularly where brown glazing bars are used.

Heatguard polycarbonate is specially constructed with a gray outer layer and an opal inner layer. This dual-tint polycarbonate excels in sunny, south-facing conservatories, efficiently reflecting and repelling heat while maintaining a bright interior ambiance. At night, it can create a ceiling-like appearance due to artificial light reflection.

This color option is available in 25mm, 32mm, and 35mm polycarbonate sheets.

Bronze Opal polycarbonate, another dual-tint product, features a bronze outer layer and an opal inner layer. It is well-suited for sunny conservatories, offering decent light reflection and heat repulsion, albeit to a slightly lesser extent than Heatguard. This variant allows 8% light transmission compared to Heatguard's 7%.

The opal interior maintains a bright appearance while bouncing artificial light, creating another ceiling-like effect at night. This option is particularly popular for brown conservatories, available in 25mm, 32mm, and 35mm sheet thicknesses.

To ensure your satisfaction, all our multi-wall polycarbonate sheets are of the highest quality and come with a Ten Year Limited Manufacturing Warranty. This warranty safeguards against discoloration, loss of light transmission, or strength degradation due to exposure to weather elements. For comprehensive warranty details, please refer to the links below.

Marlon st Polycarbonate Sheet Warranty

Sunlite Polycarbonate Sheet Warranty 

For additional information on Polycarbonate Solid Sheet Suppliers, please contact us. We are here to provide professional assistance and answers to your queries.